Just One Yesterday
by Skye-Blue 101
Summary: Inspired by the Fall Out Boy song of the same name. Five years ago, Bella made a mistake that has haunted her ever since. When she discovers that her only true path to happiness is to fight for it, and for the man she left behind, what will happen? AH
1. Chapter 1

**A/N- This will be a short story; most likely five chapters or less. This is only my second all human story, and I am again trying something new with the third person. Feedback is always welcome.**

**-S.**

_If heaven's grief brings hell's rain  
Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

_Oh, I want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way_  
_Still I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

The icy condensation that slipped from the martini was a nice reprieve from the stuffy interior of the bar. The chosen band for the night was playing something upbeat, and loud. Bella sighed as sweaty bodies moved together in the middle of the room, keeping the temperature warm, and smelling like B.O., Chanel No. 5, and booze.

When the bartender, a tall, dark, and extremely muscular guy, sent her yet another look, bringing the tally up to seven since she had arrived twenty minutes before, she moved her eyes to her drink. Alice would pay for this. She did not want to be here. She wanted to be at home, asleep, or curled up with her cat, reading a good book. But, of course that wouldn't happen with Alice as a best friend. This time, she'd set Bella up with who she decided was the _perfect_ guy. Yeah right. Bella didn't want perfect; in fact, she didn't want anyone.

All of her friends were so happy. For whatever reason, they had attributed their happiness to being with someone, to having a relationship. Not one of them understood Bella's independence from men. She neither wanted, nor needed them, but, sadly, regardless of that fact, Alice had her on a date with a different man every week.

Sometimes, she wondered if it would just be easier to find someone. She cringed visibly, and the bar tender, who continued to watch her, even though he was happily married, backed away, not wanting to deal with her baggage tonight. Naturally, Bella had already found someone. But, she was stupid; she made a mistake she could never undo. She was sure that, later tonight, after this date went horribly wrong, she'd fall into bed, her only nighttime companion, her Siamese Missy, curled up next to her, and she would regret.

She'd moved to the Big Apple after making the worst decision of her life. Alice, while continuously supportive, always told her to shrug it off. Bella wanted to believe her, but, what did she know? She and Rose, they had everything.

Bella had met them in college. She'd shared a couple of basics classes with Rose, and Alice was a fellow barista when she worked at Starbucks during her quest for every dime she could find. Money was hard then, and at that point, she had three part time jobs. Alice and Rose both had someone, they were lucky, in a way. Bella was always jealous, though she'd never tell. Of course, Alice and Rose knew this. Why else would they send her on so many dates?

Alice met Jasper at school. How a fashion and business student stumbled upon a computer science major, Bella will never know. They were perfect together. At one point, Bella wanted that. She wanted to be them, with someone who loved her that much holding her hand. Needless to say, it didn't last. Now, Alice and Jasper were getting married, which, coincidentally, was the reason Bella was on her fifth martini.

Rose was a different story entirely. She had changed her major so many times, that she was lucky the Hales were one of the richest families around. After meeting Bella and Alice, Rose dropped out of school. Before the year was out, she found herself training at the police academy- something Bella never saw coming.

One night, at a club, Rose ran into a bulky architect. They got to talking, and drinking, which they did a lot that night. Before anyone knew what happened, they were making out in the corner like teenagers. Against everyone's arguments, Rose married Emmett in Vegas six months later.

Bella could never have guessed that such a relationship would work out, but she'd never tell Rose something like that; especially not with her twins, Lily and Royce, in the room.

She finished off her drink, yet again, and nodded to the bar tender. Sometimes, she hated that it took her so long to get drunk. Before she could stew over the fact, an average sized blond guy tapped her on the shoulder. She was just about to tell the blue eyes to leave her to her sulking, when it became apparent that this man was her date for the evening.

He introduced himself as Mike, complimented her dress, and ordered a beer, all before she could get a word in edgewise.

The night continued on like that. They talked about meaningless things, while he was more into the conversation than she was ever willing to be. By the end of the night, she was done; she was tired, drunk, and wanted her cat more than ever before. When the food was out of the way, Mike insinuated that Bella would much prefer spending more time with him, preferably at his condo. She cursed Alice in her head, while she cursed him out loud.

The rest of her final martini ended up dripping from his head.

**XxxXxxX**

Bella woke up the next morning at seven thirty, the shrill ringing of her phone demanding that she answer. It took a moment for her to wipe the sleep, and tears, from her eyes. When the aggravating phone would not quiet, she declined the call, and fell against her pillow. If it was important, then they would call back later at a more reasonable time.

Besides, she was too busy feeling like crap to concentrate on a coherent conversation anyway. Why? Why did she have to have a dream like that? Given the events of the previous night, it was like her subconscious was slapping her in the face.

_His wild hair dancing in the breeze._

_His emerald eyes, wide with pain and betrayal._

_The way his voice cracks as he tells her that he loves her, and that he wishes it were enough._

Bella shuddered as she got out of bed to start the day. It was just what he needed after a terrible date- the reminder of what she'd lost. No. _What she threw away_.

It wasn't her choice, she reminded herself. It was the only thing she could do on days like this. She had to leave. She couldn't stay there forever. She couldn't live in that muddy, damp hellhole any longer. It was her only choice to get away. She told him to come with her; that they could live together in New York, but he refused. It was Bella's fault anyway. It wasn't her place to ask him to leave everything he knew behind for her.

She was still hung up on this as she blankly mixed her oatmeal, suddenly not in the mood for breakfast. She briefly considered seeing if Missy would eat it, after all, the cat was eyeing her meal from the sofa, when the doorbell rang.

Without waiting for anyone to invite her in, Alice excitedly stuck her key into the lock on the door handle, and rather abruptly, barged into her friend's apartment. Her eyes swept across the room, still unhappy at Bella's choice of décor. It wasn't chic enough in her opinion.

"So," she started when she caught sight of Bella at the breakfast table, "Do you have a date for the wedding yet?"

Angrily, Bella dropped her spoon into the now half eaten bowl of mush, and stood up to dump it into the sink. She huffed as she turned to Alice, not in the mood to talk.

"Don't ever do that to me again!"

Alice jumped back, her eyes wide and fearful. She had definitely not expected this when she jumped into a taxi this morning. To be fair, she wasn't thinking much past wanting to escape the dirty old cab, but regardless, she thought her friend would hit it off.

"What happened?" she wondered sadly as she led Bella over to the couch to console her.

Reluctantly, Bella launched into the story of the blond man from the other night. Only a few minutes in, Alice could see that she had had quite a large lapse in judgment. It was obvious that Mike was not anything close to what Bella needed in a man. And yes, Alice was still adamant that Bella did deserve a man in her life, only now she wasn't so sure if she was the woman to help her. This only became more apparent as the conversation went on.

After just over a half hour, Bella had come to a startling conclusion as to the cause of her many failed dates. She turned to Alice, a look of understanding on her tear stained face. She always hated how she cried when she was angry. She furiously wiped her eyes, and tried to focus on Alice, and not the terrible thing that she had realized.

"It's him," she said quietly, more to herself than to Alice.

Alice cocked her head to the side, confused.

"Remember," she started shakily. "My ex from Washington?"

_Hell yeah, _Alice thought. _I remember getting you shitfaced drunk for the entire month._ That was how Bella and Alice had really become friends. Alice hated how sad she was, and decided to be a friend, and help Bella move on. Instead of saying what was on her mind, Alice just smiled sadly, and nodded to her.

"It wasn't like I had a choice," Bella sniffed. "I had no money. My mother said she'd pay tuition if I went to NYU and became a lawyer."

"But you're an editor for _The_ _Times_." Alice reminded her, slightly confused.

"_Now_. I switched majors half way through freshman year, when I finally got the nerve to go against her." Bella relinquished. No one knew that she was supposed to become a lawyer. "It was my only chance to get out of that stupid little town. I begged him to come with me, but, his whole life was there."

At this point, Alice was hugging her close, running her fingers through Bella's hair, and trying to quell the guilt inside of her. She was the one who insisted that Bella find a boyfriend. She was the one who loved to flaunt her engagement ring. Hell, she was the one who was getting married in three months.

"I love him," Bella heard herself mumble. She didn't mean to say it, but they say the truth has a way of coming out. She couldn't keep this inside forever. "I never stopped. And- and if I could," she sniffled, "I'd go back right now. I don't care if I'd be trapped in Forks of all places, I don't care. I'd be a waitress at The Lodge for the rest of my life, if he was there with me."

Alice still didn't see much of a problem. "So? Go tell him that. Honestly, Bella," She thought Alice was being the slightest bit obnoxious now. "You love him. If that isn't reason enough to go to Seattle, then, I don't know what is."

"I suppose," Bella muttered after a moment of thought. "I mean, I couldn't hurt," She smiled to Alice, and then decided that she was so happy, that she might as well keep it on her face for a while. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll go online right now and buy a ticket. You don't think Angela will be mad, do you?" She asked near the end, as she searched the room for her laptop.

Alice shook her head, smiling. Angela was the sweetest boss in the world. Surly she would understand Bella taking a few days off. After all, it _was_ in the name of true love.


	2. Chapter 2

_If heaven's grief brings hell's rain  
Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

_Oh, I want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way_  
_Still I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

Edward Cullen had made a mistake. There was no avoiding that now, especially while he was staring at the daunting manila folder on his desk. How stupid could one person be? Well, they say that love makes people do stupid things, but how could that be true, when the woman who held his heart was not the one he was married to?

He chuckled bitterly to himself. He had decided a long time ago, that he was an idiot; a terrible, ridiculous, ignorant fool. How many times had he told her that he would follow her to the moon and back? And in the end, he couldn't even find it in himself to follow her to New York City. A moron, he'd decided, that was what he was.

Once again, he looked down; he watched the folder that was his freedom, with fear. Could he really do it? Could he destroy his family, and become the son his parents were ashamed of? The ex that no one wanted to talk about?

God, he was pathetic. What was he doing to himself?

Before he could begin to bathe in self loathing over his mistakes, as he did a lot recently, his receptionist, Jessica's voice could be heard over his desk phone. Her nasally voice informed him of his wife's presence in the office. He sighed, but told Jessica to let her in anyway, as he was afraid of what she would do if she got angry.

Suddenly, Tanya was there, all fake breasts, and clown like make up. She couldn't see the file that was now covertly hidden under some complicated medical documents. He was sure that even if he put it right on top, she still wouldn't notice, after all, she'd have to really strain her neck to see over her giant plastic boobs.

Of course she tried to make a move on him, as that was the only reason she ever came to his place of work. She only came when she was bored at home, and their daughter, Elizabeth, was asleep. When she got close enough, she moved his rolling chair away from his desk, and moved to straddle him.

She was breathing heavily, the ugly pastel pink cardigan strained against her chest. She leaned in, her breasts pushed up against Edward's chest. Her overly plump lips, of which Edward was certain that they too, were fake, pressed against his neck. He'd have to wash the lip gloss off once she left.

"Tanya," he started, realizing that he had run out of time. This had to happen here and now, he had to end it. If not now, then when? When his daughter was in the room? "Tanya stop," When she didn't listen to him, he pushed her off of his lap, and straightened his shirt. He had no idea how she was able to undo the first six buttons so quickly.

His wife looked down at him dejectedly, with lust clouded eyes. She couldn't understand how Edward could possibly turn her down. It didn't make any sense at all. It wasn't as if she had made up their fairytale marriage. They were perfect together; they had the perfect life, and the most beautiful daughter. Elizabeth was the best of both of them. She had Tanya's clear blue eyes and high cheek bones. She had Edward's strangely unique bronze hair, his mouth and chin.

What was it that they could possibly be missing? Yes, their sex life had been a little off lately, but, they could fix that, right? They never fought, neither of them had ever thought of cheating, and with Edward's successful job as the head surgeon at the children's hospital, they didn't want for much. Their life was perfect. What was the problem?

"Tanya," Edward repeated, sighing. "This isn't," he started, running his hand through his hair nervously. He was about to ruin what most would call a pretty decent life, and he knew it. "This isn't working out."

Tanya froze, completely floored. This wasn't how the fairytales end! The prince never told Snow White to take a hike! Cinderella never got her glass high heal thrown back at her! What was happening to her life? This wasn't right.

"Four years," She muttered. "We've been married for four years, and you spring this on me now?" The broken, quiet sound of her voice made Edward flinch.

"It's not like that. I do care for you," he paused briefly when Tanya shot him an angry look. "But there's been something that I've been wanting, _missing_, that just doesn't exist with us. I want to find that again. And, I really, really want you to find that too."

Tanya couldn't take this anymore. Before she knew it, she exploded in a fit of emotion. "What if I already did?! What if this was my fairytale? How could you just decide that you don't want this anymore?"

"Because I realized that I-" He broke off for a moment, to collect his thoughts, and try to form a coherent sentence. "I realized that what I haven't been able to find with you, is the spark." He told her honestly.

"The spark?" She asked, unsure of what he meant. To her, everything felt like it belonged in a movie. She was married to the perfect guy, and had the perfect child. Each time they kissed was like they couldn't get enough of each other. _The spark_ was definitely not missing.

"I found that once; I need to find that again."

"So what," she fumed, "You're leaving me, leaving our child, for _someone else_?"

"I'll always care about you, Tan," he started, more sure of himself. "And I'll_ always_ be there for Liz," he paused, standing up, and resting his hands on her waist. "I can't just stop being her father; just like I can't cut you out of my life. Yeah, maybe I am being a selfish bastard, but I can't pretend that I don't feel this way."

She stood there, watching him for a moment. It was as if the floor beneath her feet had opened up. It was that weightless feeling you get at the top of a rollercoaster, just as your stomach rolled, and then dropped to your toes. She knew that she was about to fall into that hole, and with each passing second, it was looking harder and harder to climb out of.

"I can't believe this," she muttered to herself. Before Edward could even attempt to console her, she looked up at him, her eyes connecting with his, took one long, deep breath, and slapped him across the face. "You're an asshole, Edward Cullen! I hope you- you never find that _spark_! I hope you die alone!" That should have hurt him, and he was positive that if he didn't know that it was over, if he didn't have that ominous folder on his desk, then her words would surely have crushed him.

As the sting faded from his cheek, Tanya yanked off her engagement ring and wedding band, the ones he had ordered from Tiffany's, not the ones his grandmother wore, those were meant for another. He flinched at the thought, as Tanya threw her diamonds to the floor. She was shouting about how he wasn't worth it anyways. Briefly, Edward wondered how quickly she would get over this.

When she was done with her screaming, she headed for the door. She didn't care if it was one in the afternoon, she wanted to get drunk. She wanted to get so drunk that she couldn't tell up from down, and maybe even went home with some _strangers_. Of course she realized a second later that her plans were impossible. Her bastard of a husband still had to work, and her baby was asleep at home. She hadn't meant to stay out long, and staying with Liz was the most important thing right now, especially if her father wouldn't be.

"Tanya," Edward started when she reached the door to his office. He might as well get it over with now. He reached over to his desk for the folder that wasn't nearly as scary now, and held it out for her. "I'd really appreciate if you could look these over, and sign them soon." He asked it like a question, his eyes pleading with her.

"Divorce papers?" she guessed angrily. Her icy blue eyes grew fiery once again. "How long have you had those exactly?"

Edward was unsure of what to say, but he figured that the truth would be better at this point. If Tanya ever caught him in a lie, married or not, he would be in trouble. "A few weeks," he muttered, afraid to meet her eyes again.

She snatched them up furiously, and stormed from the room.

And that was it. For all intents and purposes, Edward Cullen was a free and single man. He chuckled to himself humorlessly. He never actually thought he'd make it this far. In fact, he hadn't even wondered what he'd do with it yet. It was like the whole world was at his finger tips now and all he had to do was pick something.


	3. Chapter 3

_If heaven's grief brings hell's rain  
Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

_Oh, I want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way_  
_Still I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

The plane touched down at SeaTac at just past three in the afternoon. Bella was forced into the aisle seat on the small plane; her only option was to look at a young mother, and her fussy child. Of course, she didn't _have _to watch the slightly aggravating duo, but that was the best choice. She spent all of the six hour flight scowling at the romantic movie in front of her, or the honeymooning couple to her left.

At some point, she tried to rationalize that there was nothing wrong with the sappiness going on around her. If she was lucky, she'd have that soon anyway. _Lucky_. She was never a lucky person. In all her life, she only had a few things that she was truly grateful for. Her friends from New York; she didn't really have any in Forks. Her parents; they weren't together anymore, but they were happy. Her mother had Phil, and her father had just begun dating a nice woman named Sue. Her job; she was about to become the youngest Editor- In- Chief _The Times_ had ever seen.

Okay, so maybe she was luckier than she thought. Still, there was something she always knew that she was lacking. And it was entirely her own fault. She could be happy; she could have the world at her fingertips, she could have absolutely no regrets. But, five years ago, she threw it all out the window. Why? Because she didn't like the setting.

Since when didn't the princess ever complain about the prince's castle being on the wrong hill? God, now she sounded like some delirious little girl dreaming of fairytales. Bella had to mentally slap herself at that one. She didn't believe in fairytales; at least, not since she abandoned her prince.

For the rest of her flight, she sat by angrily trying to will the plane to land.

It wasn't until the nasally, overly sweet voice of a stewardess announced that the plane would be landing shortly, did Bella realize a problem. In her excitement at her newfound courage, and the haze of the feelings she may be able to recover, she hadn't made any plans for once she arrived in Seattle. With a huff, she exited the aircraft, her suitcase trailing behind her.

After nearly an hour, she found a cheap motel. It wasn't like the ones in the movies, with the terribly old furniture, and the questionable cleanliness. The establishment was neat, though it didn't compare to a five star hotel.

She knew that she shouldn't waste any time; she should go to the hospital, the one he always talked of working in. But, she was nervous. What would he do after not seeing her all these years? Would he even remember her? What if he was with someone else? Her thoughts were leading to a dark place, and she was scared.

When she was through at the motel, she decided to go out, to see the sights. She spent hours, walking the streets, coffee in hand, a smile on her face, wondering why she ever left. Yes, she hated Forks. She didn't want to be stuck there, like her father. But Seattle was different. Could anyone be stuck in a place that was so free? Forks had trees encroaching from every side, they kept you in, suffocated you. Here, there was always something- something to do, something to see, and, if you got on the freeway, an infinity of more places to go.

_This_ was what he wanted anyway. Suddenly, Bella became aware of another problem. He wanted to go to Seattle, to work at the children's hospital, under his father, who was the chief of staff there. If he was still in Washington, then he was here. He hadn't stayed in that stupid little town.

And now, Bella was sitting alone, in a park, hating herself. If she had only decided this sooner. She didn't care where she was living, she didn't care if she had her amazing job or not. She was content here, even sitting alone on this random park bench in the middle of a small field. If only she could go back in time, and tell herself this before she left.

What would she do now? What was the plan? She was an idiot, and she could live with that. But, she had hurt him. She could see the pain in his eyes when she gave up on them, for New York City, a new place, with new people, a place she didn't know.

She was a terrible person.

**XxxXxxX**

They say that children are more intuitive than we think. They see things in a way that is foreign to adults, and they would do things, things they deem perfectly normal, that adults would never think of. What is it that makes children notice the things adults don't see, or the things they ignore? What is it that takes away their filter, and lets them say the first thing on their mind, which is so often the right thing?

Those were the things on Bella's mind as she found herself talking to a rather social little girl. She kept asking why Bella wasn't smiling. She bounced on the bench beside Bella, and asked if she was sad. Of course, Bella told her no, that she was just thinking about something very complicated, that she was trying to work out a solution to a problem.

The little girl continued to jabber on until a loud voice pierced through the relative silence of the mostly empty park. "Elizabeth!" The woman's voice was clear, and strong, and it made the little girl's head rise to look out over the playground.

The woman who came into view was obviously the girl's mother. They had the exact same shade of crystal blue eyes, and their faces were very similar. She looked angry at first, before her eyes softened, and she smiled.

"I told you to stay on the playground, where I can see you," She said to the little girl. It looked as though the woman had been crying.

"Oops," she said in a tiny little voice. "I'll go play Mama" And then she was off towards the playground, to talk to a little boy on the swings.

After a moment, the woman sat down next to Bella to watch her daughter.

"That's your daughter?" Bella asked, though clearly, she was.

The blond woman sneered at her for a moment, before wiping it away, ashamed. "I'm sorry," she started, "I'm not mad at you. Hell, I don't even _know_ you. I'm just mad at everything today, I guess."

"Well, I didn't mean to cause any problems. I'm Bella by the way," She stuck out her hand. The blond woman took it easily enough, and Bella was glad she wasn't mad at her. When she had come up to the bench with such an angry face, Bella was sure the woman had her pegged as some kind of kidnapper. Anyways, it wasn't her fault that this just happened to be the worst week of Tanya's life.

"Tanya," She responded when they were through shaking. "And I am sorry. This has just been a really tough week for me."

"It's alright," Bella answered automatically. Maybe it was a tough week for everyone. At least she wasn't alone. They talked for a while, just idle chit chat, and Bella was sure that she was making her first friend in Washington since Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton.

At some point, Bella mentioned her reason for coming to the city. It made Tanya smile to think of the fairytale love Bella seemed to be chasing. God, she wanted that back. She would do anything for it. Later, Tanya admonished her own troubles. Her loving husband had just recently asked for a divorce.

Needless to say, their conversation didn't last much longer.

Just after the awkward silence ensued, Elizabeth returned to the bench to tell her mother that she was tired. She yawned, and rubbed her eyes from where she stood, explaining how she went _so high she could touch the sky_. Her happy expression made Bella giggle.

So Bella was alone again. At that point in the day, she figured she'd get some take out and head back to her motel room. That wasn't the plan for the day at all, but if he was anywhere in this city, then he'd be there tomorrow. She was just so tired anyway. Cross country flights do take a lot out of you.

By the time she had her Chinese food, it was cold, and she was almost dead on her feet. It was only two blocks back to the motel, so she didn't bother with a taxi. It wasn't late when she arrived at her room, but, even so, she found that each time she blinked, it was harder and harder to open her eyes again.

Now, normally, being that she was only a few yards from her door, she would simply have to stick her key in the hole, and fall on to her bed. But, that was not the case. After the events of the day, her mind was so clouded with drowsiness, Tanya, and _him_ that she wasn't watching what she was doing. It got even worse when she found that the key wasn't fitting into the lock correctly, and the door wouldn't budge an inch.

That was until, "Um, excuse me, I think you have the wrong room."


	4. Chapter 4

_If heaven's grief brings hell's rain  
Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

_Oh, I want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way_  
_Still I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

Edward had never imagined that he would need to stay in a crappy motel room, ten minutes from his home, _alone_, no less. What was he thinking? He didn't even know if she was still in New York. Hell, he didn't even know if she had gone to New York in the first place. That was her plan, but, as Edward knew painfully well, plans didn't always work out how you hoped they would.

He'd spent the whole day, mooching off of the free Wi-Fi in Starbucks, trying to find a flight to the Big Apple. When he learned that the next available flight was in three days, he groaned. He didn't want to be stuck in Seattle; he wanted to go find her. He _needed _her.

When he arrived back at his motel room, filled with shitty fast food and loneliness, he was surprised to find that he was not alone. There was a woman there, her long mahogany hair swaying as she muttered adamantly to herself. Her hands fumbled with a key, a take-out bag balanced on one arm.

After jiggling the key in the lock one more time, she gave up, resigned to sleeping outside for the night. Edward chose the moment to speak up, and explain to the woman how this was in fact his room.

"Um, excuse me, I think you have the wrong room."

Bella stilled for a moment, wondering briefly if the drowsiness was making her hallucinate. After all, the voice of the man behind her was soft, velvety, musical. It was everything she remembered his voice to be. She'd replayed the things he'd said to her, beautiful things, declarations of love, but never once had she gotten this close to the perfection of the sound.

She turned slowly, unsure of the vision she'd be met with. It was as if time had stopped, for the both of them. Green met brown. Crisp emeralds met sweet chocolate. It was a dream, Bella decided. She was so drowsy she didn't even remember falling asleep. Still, even her dreams were not as realistic as this. His hair was just as messy, if not more so. His eyes held a passion in them that she had not seen for a long time. He looked just as he did five years ago, sitting in the sunlight with her as she broke his heart.

Edward was the first to move. That beautiful face could only belong to one person, and he would fall over dead before he let her slip through his fingers again. One arm wrapped around her slender waist, the other, losing itself in her hair. God, he'd missed this. She froze at first, her mind drawing a blank. When at last she thawed, her lips were on his. In an instant, she had thrown caution to the wind. She didn't care about tomorrow, only this moment, right here, right now.

Edward responded in kind, his tongue, forming a delicate dance with hers. Somehow, while they were so lost in each other, he managed to slip his key from his pocket, and the two of them fell into his room. When at last they realized their need for air, their mouths parted, eyes drinking in each and every sweaty detail of the other.

"What are you doing here?" Edward asked, his voice low and sultry.

Bella's fingers traced the lines of his face absently, snagging on the pain she found there. "I'm an idiot," She muttered to herself, unaware that Edward had heard her.

"We were _both_ being stupid," Edward amended.

"I left you!" she exploded angrily, not sure why he was calling himself stupid.

"I didn't follow you," He responded, trailing his knuckles down her soft cheek.

"So what now?" She asked wearily.

"I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth if you'll let me."

It was then, that Bella realized something that she hadn't even dared to hope since she began her escapade across the country. Could it at all be possible, she knew for a fact that it was not plausible, that he felt the same way she did? His soft eyes and heated kiss affirmed it, and for the first time in five years, she decided to entertain the notion that she had not ruined her life the summer after senior year.

"You still love me!" Bella exclaimed gleefully.

"I still love you."

"But," Bella started, and Edward's heart jumped into his throat. "Can you forgive me?"

Instead of answering right away, Edward's lips skimmed down her neck, to kiss at the base of her throat. "I could see the pain in your eyes that day," he breathed against her, trying in vain to commit her scent, the soft feel of her skin, to memory. "You didn't want to go. You were unhappy here. You were right," He paused to taste her neck, his tongue darting out tentatively. "It was your only chance. Working at that crummy diner wasn't going to get you anywhere."

"I don't understand you sometimes," she muttered, her fingers tugging on his hair.

"You can't just stop loving someone," he whispered against her skin. "It doesn't work that way."

As he pulled her shirt over her head, Bella knew that he was right; she would never be able to love another.

That was her last coherent thought of the night.

Edward's long fingers, the fingers of a pianist, Bella remembered, traced the edges of her bra wantonly. When he looked up to her with the question in his eyes, she nodded, and suddenly, the offending undergarment was lost in their passion. Edward gently palmed her breast, pulling at her steadily hardening nipples. His hot mouth began at her collar bone, and trailed down, over the soft mound, to take her nipple into his mouth.

When she moaned, he moved to the other one, beginning the process again.

Her hands finally woke up, moving to trace along the sinewy muscles of his back. Without a second thought, she moved him away from her, just long enough to remove his tee shirt. When his lips were on her again, her hands were tracing the muscles of his chest and abs; she marveled at his hard muscles, and the way they felt pressing down onto her.

His kisses grew fierce and frantic as his hand trailed down her abdomen, leaving a blazing trail of desire in his wake. When her pants were gone, his fingers slid over her dampened underwear. She was in heaven; she could die right now and be happy with it. Well, maybe not _right_ now. Perhaps in a couple of hours.

He moaned into her neck as his hand moved back and forth, up and down, massaging her core through the thin fabric of her panties. "So wet for me," he moaned, moving the cotton to the side. He started by simply rubbing the sensitive nub above her opening, until she began to writhe beneath him. Before she had a chance to catch her bearings, the onslaught of sensations continued with the introduction of his index finger and her core.

He slid it in and out slowly, sensually, at first, before picking up speed. When a moderate pace had been set, he added another finger, and then another, until she was full with him. Within moments, she was back to that writhing puddle of goo that she had been previously. She could feel her orgasm begin to wash over her.

"Stop," she commanded suddenly, and he froze, wondering if he had hurt her, or if, God forbid, she was regretting this. Only, when he looked to her face, he could see that her eyes were burning with want for him. "I want, no, no I _need_ you to be inside of me now," she whimpered. "It's been too long."

Her shaking hands made quick work of the button on his jeans. After only a moment, she held his throbbing member in her hand. It was a wonder he didn't lose his shit right then and there. Her tiny fingers slid up and down him, eliciting a very unmanly sound from his lips.

"Bella!" he groaned, unable to take this taunting anymore. Her hand fell away from him, only to be replaced by her warm center. They hadn't been joined like this since high school, and she craved the feelings it brought about inside of her.

He pushed inside of her forcefully, but she didn't seem to mind. Again, they started slowly, gently. It was a world away from how he used to spend his nights with Tanya. Most nights, they didn't do anything, and, when they did, Tanya insisted it be rough and hard. She liked it that way.

Bella surprised him, lifting up to meet is thrust, setting a much faster pace. When his fingers found her clit again, she was having trouble controlling herself. Moments later, she moaned and fell over the edge of her high, pulling him with her.

They lay there together, a tangled mess of sweaty limbs. Eventually, their breathing slowed, and Edward pulled her close to him. They fell asleep that way, a naked puddle of passion and love.

**A/N- And there you have it, my first official lemon. Tell me what you think. I'm sorry this chapter was a little late, but I hope my little smut- fest made up for it. **

**-S.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N- Guys, I'm so sorry about this. I debated about this chapter a bit, started and trashed it a few times, but in the end, I decided that the story needed an epilogue. That was my original plan, and I'm sticking to it. **

**-S.**

_If heaven's grief brings hell's rain  
Then I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

_Oh, I want to teach you a lesson in the worst kind of way  
Still I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday_

Tanya Denali was pissed. She'd gotten the call from her lawyer that morning, the call she never wanted; the call she had been dreading for weeks now. Garrett Snow, the divorce attorney her ex- husband had hired a few months back, had just called to inform her that she was officially a free woman. Yeah, like she ever wanted to be.

She wanted her happy little family. She wanted to go back to that, to her husband and her daughter, to the life that was now officially gone, dead, and flushed down the toilet as if it had never existed in the first place. Well, that wasn't completely true. She still had her baby. One of the first things that had to be dealt with was the custody of Elizabeth. Edward had the gall to look teary eyed as he gave his parental rights up to Tanya, with the request of frequent visits. At least he hadn't stolen _everything_ from her. Just her foreseeable future.

She scowled at her computer screen angrily. Even it had the nerve to betray her. She wasn't overly deceitful, or mean, or hateful, and she certainly did not enjoy bringing herself pain, but she just couldn't resist. She'd heard once, from her incredibly selfish ex- husband that his new arm candy had a rather successful job working for _The_ _New York Times_. What he had failed to mention, was that, in essence, she _was_ _The Times. _She just so happened to be the youngest, and, according to multiple sources, the greatest editor- in- chief in all of its establishment.

What, was she not good enough anymore? Was it because she wasn't as successful, as well known, as wealthy, as this Isabella Swan was? The story, while not making it into _The Times_ itself, had reached the homepage of its website. Miss Bella Swan, as she preferred to be called, had recently announced her engagement to a successful surgeon from the east coast.

Well, this was just perfect, wasn't it? She was out there, living it up, rich and famous in her own right, getting married to a man whom Tanya thought was perfect. And he was _her_ man or, at least, he used to be. She groaned and finished off her coffee; the buzz of the caffeine was the best she could do at ten o clock on a Wednesday morning in presence of her four year old daughter.

She liked to think that she was rational, smart. She liked to think that she was a good person, happy, kind, charming, and usually, she was. But this was different. This was personal. She wanted to hate him, but, for whatever reason, she couldn't, so instead, she wanted him to burn.

**XxxXxxX**

_Two Weeks Before_

Life, according to Bella Swan, was good. No, better than that, it was perfect. She had everything she could ever want. Edward was back. Her Edward was back, and he had forgiven her. What more could she ask for? It was as if life couldn't possibly get any better.

It was Saturday, and she was eating Eggs Benedict outside of a café near central park. The sun was still rising in the east, bathing everything in a golden light. One might say it was peaceful; they might even go so far was to call the tranquility heavenly. Well, it would be, if it weren't for Alice. Did she always have to go crazy like this?

Near to the end of her meal, she began to feel strange. He stomach churned as sipped the end of her coffee. She tried to listen to Alice babble on about the wedding; to add comments and ask questions like Rose was, but the nauseating feeling wouldn't leave her alone.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked after noticing the sickly look on her face.

"Oh," Bella started. How long had Alice been watching her? "I'm fine. I just need to use the restroom."

Alice nodded, shooting a glance at her phone. "Alright," she began, unsure. "But you have to hurry, if you can. Our appointment is in a half hour."

Bella agreed as she tore through the restaurant in search of the bathroom. This shouldn't take long, right? She hadn't eaten much. When she arrived in the ladies room, she was out of breath. An older woman watched her from where she stood washing her hands, but Bella had no time to placate her. She flung herself into the nearest stall, and proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet.

This was not how she was supposed to spend her Saturday. When she was finished and the toilet was flushed, she sat on the lid, and attempted to catch her breath. What was it that had made her sick? The food here was incredible, and she had felt fine when she'd woken up that morning.

Belatedly, a thought came to her. Her period was nine days late. Ordinarily, she wouldn't worry. She'd missed her cycle before due to stress, and she'd never had a regular schedule, but now what? She was having morning sickness? That only meant one thing. What was she going to tell Alice? This was an important day. They had a final dress fitting in twenty- five minutes, and the rehearsal dinner was set for eight o clock that night.

After she'd cleaned herself up, she headed back out to the front terrace, determined to not give anything away unless it was unavoidable. Of course, with her friends, it was.

"What was that?" Rose asked when she caught sight of her.

"It was nothing, honestly. I think I've just got a touch of the flue."

Alice's eyes got wide, and she looked scared. "What? No, Bella you're my maid of honor! You can't get sick!"

"Relax Alice," Bella responded, laying a hand on her shoulder. "The wedding is in a week and a half; I'm sure I'll be fine by then."

Alice didn't look very convinced. "Can you still come to the fitting?"

Bella thought for a moment, unsure if that was the best idea. "I'll meet you guys there. Let me just head down to a pharmacy to pick up some flu stuff."

Rationally, Alice knew that the flu didn't last very long, but how could she have her wedding without the maid of honor? Of course Rose could step in, but then she'd still need to find another bridesmaid to even things out.

"Maybe you should call Edward. He _is_ a doctor, you know."

Edward had returned to New York with her a few weeks before. Both of them had decided that it was the best thing to do, with everything that's been going on. After talking over everything that first night, they agreed that Edward would go to New York with her, at least until after the wedding. Bella hadn't said anything to him yet, but she was positive that going back to Seattle was the right thing to do. She would miss her friends like crazy, but this whole big mess was due to Bella's terribly selfish mistake, and so she figured, if anyone should have to suffer for the sake of their relationship, it should be her.

"Alice, it's fine," she said slowly. "I'll meet you there."

As it turns out, it wasn't _fine. _She sat in a white washed bathroom in the back of a CVS freaking out. The little white stick in front of her, and the three others beside it, all had a little pink plus sign printed on the indicator window.

_Now what? _She thought as she paced the length of the handicapped stall. She was pregnant, with Edward Cullen's baby. What was she going to do? It was then that she realized she was in danger of being very late for the fitting. Alice would kick her ass if she wasn't on time. She left the store in a hurry, hailed another cab, and that was that, she would deal with all of this later.

Alice spent the entire fitting sending glances Bella's way, as if she knew something was up. Of course, it was Alice, so chances are, she did. The dresses were beautiful. Alice went with a deep red color scheme, so Rose's and Bella's dresses were satin, knee length, burgundy little numbers without straps. They went hand in hand with Alice's strapless satin gown, and the bouquet of roses she would be carrying.

When the fitting was over, Alice assured the seamstress that everything was perfect, and that she'd be over in about a week to pick them up. After a quick lunch, they each headed to their respective homes to relax for a little while before getting ready for the rehearsal dinner.

Well, in Bella's case, it was more like freak out. She still had no idea what she was going to do, or what she was going to say, let alone when.

**XxxXxxX**

_Same Day_

Since coming to New York, Edward hadn't done much outside of acting like a tourist. He was on leave from the Seattle Children's Hospital until further notice. At first, he wasn't sure how asking for a vacation would go over with his superiors, that was, until he was informed of the amount of vacation days that he had actually acquired over the years. It was no secret that Edward loved his job, and his nearly perfect attendance record could attest to that.

But, on that day, while his girlfriend was out shopping with her friends, he had a specific place he needed to visit.

The jewelry store was almost completely empty when he arrived, save a young woman, who appeared to be inquiring about some earrings. When the jeweler caught sight of him, he nodded over the woman's shoulder, acknowledging his presence, and continued on with his customer. Edward didn't mind. Bella was out with her friends. He hadn't known Alice long, but he was sure, that if she was in the group, they wouldn't be back for a while.

When the young woman was satisfied, she left the store with a smile on her face. As soon as she was out of sight, the jeweler, a grey haired older man by the name of Laurent turned to Edward.

"Ah, right on time sir," he said, with a glance at the clock. "I just finished with it."

As Edward pulled out his wallet, Laurent vanished into a back room that was concealed by deep green curtains. A moment later, the man was back, a small black box in his hand. "I think you'll find this satisfactory," With a quick peek in the box, Edward thanked the man, and handed him a shiny black credit card.

As he made his way back to Bella's condo, Edward couldn't help but over think things, as he did quite often. Was this smart? No, that was irrelevant; the better question would be will it work? He couldn't bear to think of what he would do if it didn't. Losing her again was out of the question. Whatever might happen, he knew that he would never forgive himself if he didn't at least try.

When Bella returned home two hours later, she was met with Edward's eager smile. They spent the afternoon watching cheesy movies with the lights off, which was about the only thing that Edward could do without giving something away. They sat together, cuddling, kissing, and laughing at ridiculous characters and unbelievable plot points.

At about six thirty, Edward finally clicked the television off.

"Now, my dear, we have an hour and a half to get ready for dinner, I don't know about you, but a shower sounds perfect," he whispered in her ear suggestively. His warm breath tickled Bella's ear, and she blushed.

She looked at him, giggled, and took off running. "Race you!"

The water beat down on them, as the two took turns washing each other. When the last of the soap was swirling down the drain, Bella reached to turn the water off. "Well, I guess we're done now. I'm going to need at least an hour to get ready, so-"

Edward cut her off. "Don't you dare, tease."

His hands trailed down her back, moving ever closer to her ass. Goosebumps erupted over her skin. His left hand settled on her behind, touching, squeezing, while his right one gently pushed her legs apart. Slowly, painfully slowly, his index finger found her clit. His touch was feather soft, and she was positive that now it was his turn to tease her.

One finger found its way inside of her, and he thumb took over his torturous ministrations on her clit. She moaned, craving more. She wasn't nearly full enough. "Edward," she whined. "More."

"Patience," he whispered in her ear. His fingers slowed a bit, which had Bella whimpering. His left hand moved from her ass cheek to her breast, where he pinched her nipple, leaving her a moaning mess.

Suddenly, just as she clamped down around his finger, he stepped back, puling both of his hands from her body. "How's that for a tease?"

"You're no fair," she said to him dejectedly.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not done yet," As he touched her, his cock got increasingly hard. It rubbed against her ass wantonly. He was sure that if he continued on that way, this would be done before it really had a chance to start.

"Put your hands on the wall," he ordered. She complied, liking this new side of him. "Lower," he said, "Bend down for me."

When her hands were low enough on the wall, when her ass was sticking up enough for his liking, he stepped forward and placed his hands on her hips. He moaned at the friction of his dick on her ass. "Are you ready for me?"

She moaned, and nodded sporadically. With great speed and force, he pushed himself into her hot core. His rhythm was fast and demanding. Before he knew it, she was tightening around him again. As he lost himself inside of her, he brought his hand back between her legs. His fingers skittered around the spot where they were joined, before settling on her clit once again.

And then, she was right along with him, screaming through her release.

**XxxXxxX**

At eight o clock on the dot, Edward and Bella arrived at the hotel where the rehearsal dinner was being held, both of them, dressed to the nines.

They were seated at the front table with Alice and Jasper, and Rose and Emmett. Alice, though usually very picky, especially when it came to her wedding, bent the rules, just this once for Edward and Bella, allowing them both to sit at the front table together, even though Edward wasn't part of the wedding party.

They spent the night talking, laughing, and dancing. Of course, Bella was a terrible dancer, but she still enjoyed herself, stumbling along with Edward, who wasn't very good at it himself. Edward tried on more than one occasion to get Bella to drink something, but she refused. Edward was beginning to get suspicious.

At ten thirty, when the party was still in full swing, Edward pulled Bella to the dance floor once more. This time, they stayed off to the side, dancing so slowly, it was closer to standing still.

"This could be for us," Edward whispered to her at last, after arguing with himself for a good ten minutes.

Bella backed up a step, so that she could look him in the eyes. "What do you mean?" She asked him.

"I mean," he started nervously. "That I love you. Yeah, maybe this isn't the best place, and I'm a little freaked out over what Alice will do when she finds out, but I don't care. I love you, Bella Swan, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I let you go once. I let you go when I should have fought for you, or, or come with you, but I didn't," He was still beating himself over this, he knew, but for whatever reason, he couldn't seem to let go of the idea that this was all his fault.

"Edward," Bella tried to interrupt him, but he wouldn't let her.

"Just listen for a minute, okay?" he whispered to her.

She nodded.

"I love you more than my own life, and I know you feel the same. Why else would you fly across the country for me?"

She wondered briefly how he could still see it that way. Yes, she flew out to find him, but that was only after leaving him, after breaking his heart just to chase dreams that she hadn't dreamt up yet.

"I love you more than my own life, and I'm asking," He paused, pulling away from her. He dropped to one knee, and pulled the delicate diamond ring, his grandmother's ring, from his jacket pocket. Some people turned their heads to watch what he was doing. "Alice is going to kill me for doing this, but, I want to share my life with you. I want to wake up next to you in the morning, and fall asleep with you in my arms at night. I want you to be my wife."

He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Will you marry me?"

Bella couldn't speak, she couldn't breathe, all she could do was nod her head, and let the tears fall.

Suddenly, Alice was there, angry, and beautifully scary. "What on earth are you doing?" she seethed.

"Um," Edward looked at her incredulously, "Proposing to my fiancé?"

She smiled at Bella, before turning back to Edward. "At_ my_ rehearsal dinner?"

"It's Jasper's too," Bella muttered.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I just couldn't wait."

"Well, at least you're finally doing it."

The couple looked at her strangely. "Oh please," she drawled out. "Don't you think I can see you you look at each other? I'm glad it's finally happening."

Bella took a breath, well, she thought, it's now or never. "On that note, while Alice is feeling forgiving," She glanced at Alice, before her eyes flickered to Edward. "I'm pregnant."

Both Alice and Edward stared at Bella for a moment. It was almost as though they didn't believe it.

"Really?" Edward asked first, more excited than he could ever say.

Alice mock glared at her, waiting for her answer.

Bella just nodded.

**XxxXxxX**

Anthony Alexander Cullen was born nine months later to two blissfully happy parents.

**A/N- Well, that's it. This one is done. What did you think? Good? Bad? I want to know. I'm sorry it took me so long to finish. On that note, I have a new original story up on Wattpad called 'The Truth About Lifesavers' by ChristiChick. Please check it out.**

**-S.**


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